Page 58 of For Love & Torture
“I need to make a report. Someone’s been abducted.” I find I’m shaking and she can see that too.
I hear a buzzing sound then she says, “Come back here, sir. I’ll get one of our detectives to help you.”
Finally, I feel like I’m doing something about this whole thing. Asking my ghost Mom just doesn’t feel like enough.
The woman leads me down a hallway and into a small room. “Thank you for your help. I’m beginning to lose my mind over this.”
“You just take a seat.” She goes over to a small fridge and pulls out a bottle of water and gives it to me. “I’m sure Detective Jones can help you.”
Leaving me alone, I gulp down half the water and try to stop my body from shaking. I’ve never been so afraid in my entire life. I can’t lose her.
A short man with graying hair comes into the room, carrying a yellow legal pad. “Good morning. You’re up bright and early, aren’t you? Need some coffee?”
“No, I just need your help. My girlfriend is missing. I know who has her, he took her with him last night…”
Holding up a hand, he stops me right there. “Hold on. Okay. First thing’s first. Your name is?”
“Grant Jamison.” I wait for him to get this shit out of the way.
“And the missing person’s name is?”
“Isabel Sanchez.”
“And who do you think took her against her will?”
“Bart Mason.” I take his picture of out my pocket and unfold, placing it on his desk. “This man right here.”
He gives it a look then looks up at me. “And what makes you think she was taken against her will?”
“Well, that’s the tricky part. You see, she actually went with him on her own. She was mad at me, and he happened to be the first person she ran into.” I place my hands on the desk as I can see he’s thinking I’m some jealous boyfriend making a false report. “Look, sir. I know how this sounds. Believe me, I do. But this guy’s been after her for a week. And things are happening that shouldn’t be. Like his house was burned down last night and I found out he didn’t really live in it at all.”
“And how did you find this out?” He makes a note of the fire, I suppose, on his pad of paper. “And do you happen to have that address?”
“It’s 1515 Sparrow Lane. And I was there when it happened. I went to look for Isabel there. Lightning struck the house, but there was this odd green glow. And there was this dog he had there. A German Shepherd. Anyway, an old woman came out, along with a lot of other elderly people to see what was happening and she told me he’d bought the place only a week ago and never moved anything into the house. Only he has this driver and the car the driver drives him around in occasionally is kept there…”
I’m talking so fast, he has to hold his hand up again. “Slow down, Mr. Jamison. Okay, so the house has burned down. Let me make a call really quick to find out from the fire department if there were any bodies in the home.” He picks up the phone on his desk. An old style phone I had no idea anyone used anymore. “Yeah, I’m calling about a house fire that occurred last night. It was at 1515 Sparrow Lane. Do you happen to know if anyone was found in the home?”
He nods as he listens and I can’t hear a thing. Then he hangs up the phone. “So?”
“So no one was inside, and the house was completely empty.” He looks up at me after he writes that down. “Do you happen to have a phone number for Isabel and Mr. Mason?”
“Isabel doesn’t have her phone with her. Her purse with her phone in it was left in my car. And I have his number, but it’s been disconnected.” I pull out my phone and show him the number then call it so he can hear that for himself.
He nods again and writes stuff down. “I know you probably have, but I have to ask. Have you been to her house to check if she’s there?”
“I have, and she hasn’t been there. All she has are the clothes on her back. She has nothing else. I find it extremely odd that the man’s phone has been turned off and his home here is empty and now burnt to the ground. Don’t you?” I sit back and hope he thinks it’s odd too.
“Well, we have this little glitch, Mr. Jamison. She hasn’t been missing long enough to make an official investigation. Chances are she’ll cool off and come back home today or maybe tomorrow. We’ll have to give her a chance to do that.”
Fuck!
I knew it. I knew I’d be alone in this. Shit!
“So you expect me to just be patient and wait? I can’t do that.” I get up and pace around the tiny room. “There’s something else you should know. The man’s into BDSM.”
With a chuckle, he says, “That’s not a crime, Mr. Jamison.”
“I know that. I just mean that I’m afraid he’s going to hurt her. He wanted to make her his submissive partner, and she turned him down. I’m afraid he orchestrated the whole thing that had her running right into his evil arms.” I stop and shove my hands through my hair as I feel utterly exasperated.
“Evil?” The man’s smile only serves to piss me off. “A bit close to Halloween, isn’t it? Maybe your imagination has gotten away from you. Maybe your girlfriend wanted to get away from you too. Ever thought of that? Maybe she wanted to accept the man’s offer. And from what I understand about some of those people, the man will provide everything she needs. She doesn’t need more clothing or money or a phone.”
“It’s not like that.” And just as I say that I realize that I’m wasting precious time. “I need to go. I’ll check back in what, a day or two?”
“Let’s give this two days.” He puts his pad of paper down and gets up to escort me out. “And try not to worry. I’m sure the man is standing by the SSC rules that the people who practice BDSM follow.”
I’m done trying to explain a thing to the man. His hands are tied. I get it. “Hopefully you won’t be seeing me in two days, Detective Jones.”
“Hopefully so, Mr. Jamison. Try to have a nice day.” He opens the door to let me out, and I hurry to get into my car.
Now to get to the coroner’s office to see about getting my mother’s body exhumed.
